House of Commons Hansard #26 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-17.

Topics

Order in Council AppointmentsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments made recently by the government.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

November 18th, 2002 / 3 p.m.

Halifax West Nova Scotia

Liberal

Geoff Regan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 114 petitions.

Access to Information ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-302, an act to amend the Access to Information Act (crown corporations and Canadian Wheat Board).

Mr. Speaker, the bill is to have transparency and accountability in the Canadian Wheat Board. We would like it to be subject to the Access to Information Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Income Tax ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-303, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (travel expenses for a motor vehicle used by a forestry worker).

Mr. Speaker, this bill will make it possible for a forestry worker, under certain conditions, to deduct motor vehicle travel expenses from income, where he was required under a contract of employment to use the motor vehicle to travel to and from his ordinary place of residence and his workplace or the employer's place of business.

Forestry workers work far away from their homes, hundreds of kilometres distant in fact. I would like to see them able to deduct their expenses and thus encouraged to work. The current situation is a disincentive to work, or forces them to move away.

I believe it is important for the Minister of Finance to examine this matter and for the consent of the House to be obtained as soon as possible.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Ukrainian Canadian Restitution ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Inky Mark Canadian Alliance Dauphin—Swan River, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-331, an act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Ukrainian descent and other Europeans who were interned at the time of the First World War and to provide for public commemoration and for restitution which is to be devoted to education and the promotion of tolerance.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brandon—Souris for seconding the bill.

I have the honour to table the bill on behalf of the one million Canadians of Ukrainian descent. The bill was previously tabled under Bill C-331. It is long overdue that the Ukrainian community in this country receive justice after seeking justice for over 20 years.

I ask for unanimous consent to have the same number remain on the bill as the previous tabling of Bill C-331.

Ukrainian Canadian Restitution ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

Is it agreed that the bill be numbered Bill C-331?

Ukrainian Canadian Restitution ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

National Agriculture Industry Relief Coordination ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-304, an act to ensure coordination in the delivery of programs by governments in the case of agricultural losses or disasters.

Mr. Speaker, the bill is a pet of mine. With what we have seen in the agricultural community recently with respect to all of the natural disasters, it is extremely important that we strike this committee and that this committee be allowed to put forward recommendations with a natural disaster program that comes forward with agriculture where in fact we do have consistency between all provinces and all producers.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Income Tax ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-305, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (health club membership fees).

Mr. Speaker, this is a very simple bill with the intent to encourage people to become physically fit and thereby ensure that by being physically fit they will be less of a burden on the health care system as it becomes more and more expensive.

I am using the Income Tax Act to attempt to encourage behaviour that allows people to become physically fit by joining health clubs and making sure they look after themselves. This would permit a deduction of the health club membership prior to the calculation of taxable income.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions. Two of them are on the subject matter of adult stem cell research. The petitions are primarily from people in my riding, totalling about 125 people.

They call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is primarily from people in my riding calling upon Parliament to request that the Government of Canada undertake a review of the foreign aid it provides to the Bangladesh government in view of that government's record of re-current violations of human rights with respect to the persecution of Hindus and other minorities; and that the Government of Canada consult with the government of India to ensure that refugees belonging to Hinduism and other religious minorities in Bangladesh are given all possible assistance in India on humanitarian grounds as outlined in the Geneva convention and in conformity with the practice of the Indian government in the past.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Tom Wappel Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Mr. Speaker, the final petition, which is primarily from people in Ontario, calls upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John Duncan Canadian Alliance Vancouver Island North, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition containing 142 signatures of people from Calgary, the Gulf Islands, Victoria and the lower mainland.

The petitioners are saying that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans no longer provides sufficient resources for the Coast Guard to effectively perform rescue operations; that the lack of resources has led to several people, who potentially could have been saved but who drowned on the west coast this year; that the Coast Guard is in desperate need of a new hovercraft; and that it appears that the current government does not have as a priority a search and rescue service that has the ability to save lives.

Therefore, the petitioners want to make the Coast Guard an independent body, whose priority would be to save lives, separate from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and with all the necessary resources for staffing and equipment.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling two petitions today.

The first petition is on the subject of child pornography and has been signed by residents of my constituency of Burnaby--Douglas, in particular, Mrs. Sien Wan-Lim and Armanda Calaciura of Burnaby.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House their concern that the creation and use of child pornography is condemned by the clear majority of Canadians. They point out that the courts have not applied, in their view, the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition, which again is signed by residents of Burnaby, and in particular I want to note the name of Rosina Mamullo of Burnaby. The subject is stem cell research.

The petitioners point out that hundreds of thousands of Canadians suffer from debilitating illnesses and diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injury. They note that Canadians support ethical stem cell research, which has shown encouraging potential to provide cures and therapies for these illnesses and diseases. The petitioners note that non-embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, have shown significant research progress without immune rejection or the ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cells.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, the member for Halifax West has responded to 119 petitions, of which I am sure most of them also belong to this category. The same applies to the member for Burnaby--Douglas.

The petition I am presenting today on behalf of my constituents also deals with the subject of child pornography, an issue that is resonating in Canadian society today. It is very important that we as Canadians protect our children. My constituents wish to add their voices by way of petition to suggest that all materials that promote or glorify pedophilia involving children should be outlawed. I present this petition and would again like to have a response from the member.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Jerry Pickard Liberal Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

Petitioners from my riding state that a clear majority of Canadians condemns acts of child pornography and that the courts have not applied the current child pornography law in a way which makes it clear that such exploitation of children will always be met with swift punishment.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children be outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Jerry Pickard Liberal Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, my second petition calls attention to the fact that hundreds of thousands of Canadians suffer from debilitating diseases: Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injury.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research to find the cures and therapies necessary to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to present a petition concerning pedophilia.

Petitioners primarily from Cariboo--Chilcotin, but also from as far away as Manitoba, Alberta, Victoria, North Vancouver, Surrey and Fort St. John, petition Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ovid Jackson Liberal Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it is my honour to present on behalf of my constituents of Bruce--Grey--Owen Sound a petition with regard to the family.

The petitioners ask that Parliament make legislation to ensure that we have a clear definition of shared parenting and that all the laws concerning children be looked at with respect to making sure that the kids get the best outcomes and the best values.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Gurmant Grewal Canadian Alliance Surrey Central, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table 19 petitions containing 2,288 signatures of people residing in the constituency of Surrey Central.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that materials that promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions today. The first petition calls on the government to re-examine the relationship between the Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The petitioners point out that the Coast Guard is not suitably equipped to perform the functions that are expected of it, whether it be the search and rescue functions on the coast at large or the functions as the primary rescuer for any mishaps off Vancouver airport.

They call upon Parliament to separate the Coast Guard from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, my second petition has to do with the fishery. The petition notes that the federal fisheries minister has an obligation to protect wild fish and their habitat. The petitioners point out that the Auditor General and others have found that the minister is not meeting his constitutional obligation to protect wild Pacific salmon and their habitat.

They call on Parliament to require the minister to fulfil his obligation to protect wild fish and their habitat from the effects of salmon aquaculture.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC

Mr. Speaker, my third petition deals with pornography. The petitioners point out that child pornography is an activity condemned by the majority of Canadians and that the courts do not seem to have applied the current child pornography laws in a way that Canadians want.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that pornographic materials involving children are outlawed.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by a number of Canadians, including petitioners from my own riding of Mississauga South.

These petitioners believe, as I do, that human life begins at conception. The petition was prompted by research developments which show that stem cells from bone marrow have the ability to produce virtually every cell in the human body.

The petitioners want to advise parliament that they support ethical stem cell research. They therefore call upon parliament to focus its legislative support on adult stem cell research, not embryonic stem cell research, to find the necessary cures and therapies to treat the illnesses and diseases of suffering Canadians.